McClatchy is hiring: Asst Managing Editor for Local News in Sacramento

The Sacramento Bee seeks a proven newsroom leader to help us grow our local news coverage, serve our existing subscribers and add new ones by shepherding timely, trusted and innovative journalism in one of America’s most dynamic and diverse cities, the capital of California.

The Assistant Managing Editor for Local News will work closely with the Assistant Managing Editor for Politics and Investigations to ensure our teams produce the best quickdraw, enterprise, accountability and investigative journalism in the country — and a lot of it. This role oversees editors who run a robust breaking‑news desk, along with coverage of crime, courts, transportation, Sacramento’s nationally acclaimed food‑and‑dining scene, the NBA’s Sacramento Kings, MLB’s A’s, and high school and college sports. You also will directly supervise reporters covering Sacramento’s business community, City Hall, county government and local schools.

At The Bee, we’re following reader data – giving subscribers the news they demand – while also maintaining our sense of mission, knowing that our work is vital to the betterment of our communities and state. Within the past two months, our reporting has unearthed unheeded warning signs that preceded a deadly explosion that leveled a fireworks warehouse, chronicled financial improprieties at a local public radio station and revealed a string of deaths happening inside local homeless shelters. We’ve also had a little fun, rolling out a series celebrating the 40th anniversary of the first Kings home game in Sacramento, tapping into our multimedia capabilities with videos, a Kings quiz and historical photos.

This editor will have a proven track record of leading teams that do this kind of reporting and much more, setting coverage priorities, streamlining workflows, nurturing talent and ensuring timely, accurate, and engaging stories. Our journalism focuses on our local communities, and in that role we spotlight problems, highlight solutions and truly make a difference — all the reasons you got into this business. And we are part of McClatchy Media, a digitally driven company focused on innovation, with four other newsrooms in California and 25 others in the United States.

Ninety miles northeast of San Francisco and 100 miles southwest of Lake Tahoe, Sacramento is a vibrant capital city with a Mediterranean climate, a world‑class cultural scene and numerous recreational opportunities, including the 31‑mile American River Trail and 2,000 acres of parkland in the city alone. Our Bee office in East Sacramento lies within two miles of the Capitol, Midtown, Downtown and Golden 1 Center. Living in Sacramento or in several neighboring communities offers a high quality of life and a front‑row seat to compelling stories.

As AME for Local News, you will need to:

• Lead in a way that your teams understand that frequent, consistent publishing builds habit in readers, who come to trust that they can depend on us to deliver each day, giving them a reason to come back and engage.
• Shepherd journalists “to meet audiences where they are” both geographically and technologically (think vertical video) – and steer them to write about high‑impact topics that engage our subscribers and create new ones.
• Empower staff to learn and employ audience‑focused approaches to journalism. This includes seeking out and embracing the ethical use of artificial intelligence and other automation to enhance and elevate our work, create supplemental content (including takeaway stories and other alternative story formats) and build efficiencies that free our journalists to focus on high‑quality content production.
• Work across teams, communicating early and often with all newsroom stakeholders, especially in breaking‑news situations.
• Play a key role in newsroom administration, overseeing the newsroom schedule under the direction of the managing editor and ensuring accountability and transparency in day‑to‑day operations.
• Understand all facets of digital publishing, online metrics and reader engagement, using these tools to elevate projects and engagement.
• Demonstrate speed, competitiveness and SEO savvy, including coaching team members on all of the above.

What you’ll bring:

• College degree or equivalent work experience.
• A minimum 10 years’ experience in journalism or a related field, with at least three years of editing experience.
• Strong writing skills, excellent news judgment and a demonstrated ability to “see the story” that is going to matter to readers.
• A track record for innovation, learning and using new skills and technologies, especially AI.
• Leadership skills that bring the best out of our journalists alike, and have fun in the process.
• A willingness to represent The Sacramento Bee in community events or live journalism initiatives.
• A commitment to representing the diversity of our community in coverage and hiring.
• Must have reliable transportation. Must have valid driver’s license and vehicle insurance.

The anticipated base pay range for this position is between $140,000 and $155,000 per year. Individual base pay may vary within that range depending on job‑related knowledge, skills, experience, department equity and relevant education.

To apply

Include a persuasive cover letter, your resume and links to (and, if applicable, descriptions of) four to six examples of outstanding journalism by you or your teams.

What we’ll bring:

As a journalist at McClatchy, you will join a supportive, flexible, collaborative team. McClatchy strives to be an employer of choice, and our benefits package is made with this goal in mind. With a focus on health, well‑being, wealth and daily life, our package options include healthcare coverage for employees and their families, financial protection from expected and unexpected expenses, multiple no‑cost wellness resources and even coverage for four‑legged friends.

Our overall benefits package also includes a 401(k) with employer match, competitive paid time off and corporate holidays, and a variety of mental health benefits. With an excellent support team and a focus on your well‑being as a top corporate strategy, McClatchy provides benefits to support you and your family in achieving your health and wellness goals. For more information on McClatchy’s benefit plan, please visit McClatchyLivewell.com.

About the McClatchy Media Company

The McClatchy Media Company features a portfolio of vibrant and trusted news, lifestyle, entertainment brands and a robust retail distribution network. Our iconic local news brands such as the Miami Herald, The Kansas City Star and The Sacramento Bee, have collectively earned a total of 57 Pulitzer prizes and are complemented by popular lifestyle and entertainment brands such as Us Weekly and Woman’s World. Together, our brands reach more than 100 million unique visitors a month, The McClatchy Retail Network, our distribution and logistics arm, offers delivery to more than 56,000 retail locations weekly.